Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-04-22

Of his etlttrtt to IKE Ms ti4f ana &tt1
the obansttee oil ibe evidence be coaid
Ia repa the duplicating testimony
DIR. BLAND
testiaes before the committee in his own
behalf and under his solemn cath, admit
sed an the essential paris Of The ipaplicatlng
fe,fiaOng.' He attempted to extricate
himself from the dilemma in which the
s.implicating testimony" placed him by
swearing he was making medical examina-
tions Of female patientS-he admitted that
he made such examinations OF female pa
tients unattended by any other
female and that said female patients
were afflicted with mynphOmGRid.
Now. s'without charging DIR. Bland with
impure motives" admitting all he said
about II 70 be strictly true, the committee
such conduct in the Superin-
tendent of that great State institution as
''indelicate and reprehensible. what
word could we find of milder type with
which truthfuIly to characterize such con-
ductP Would either of the gentlemen who
signed that special report tolerate such
eondnct on the part of DIR. Bland, OF any
other physician, in their private ianiiliesy
Most assuredly not. II not, why excuse
sneh conduct in him as the head OF this
great State humanitarian institution!
True many of the unfortunate women IN
the Hospital are objects Of public charity,
the committee thought they
were and are entitled to the same delicate,
kind, tender, anu respectful treatment ac-
corded to Others in more fortunate circum-
stances. During our entire investigation
we did,not hear even the shade of shadow
of suspicion or complaint against the con-
duct of DIR. Lewis, the first assistant ply
sician for the female side OF the Hospital.
WHY? Because il was shown to us that
he never made or attempted to
make one Of these medical examina-
tons without the presence OF the matron
Or some female attendant. How much bet
ter would IL have been for the interest OF
the State, the Hospital for the Insane and
for DR.. Bland himself, if he had pursued
the same course instead of the one he did,
relying, as he said he did, upon his age and
previous character to protect him and the
institution from scandal. The evidence
taken by the committee will be submitted |
to the Legislature which convenes in extra
session in day or so, and / invite especial
attention to that portion of it which the
Board terms the duplicating testimony"
that of DR.. Bland. So far as |
am individually concerned, | confidential |
" rest the conclusion Of the committee
upon the testimony of DR.. Bland himself. |
1t matters not whether the witnesses who
the duplicating testimony" are
or not they were, however, |
before us). DIR. Bland, as |
have before said, admitted all the material
facts in their testimony.
The late Board, in its remarkable "spe-
rial report" denies the committees state
ment regarding the persistent |
MISUSE OF THE LIQUOR
at the Hospital and say from the very
frequent indulgence in the use.of the Hos
pital whisky during the brief and hurried
visit of this investigating committee,
which is jardted to us, we hazard nothing
in saying that the supply will be more
surely preserved should some of them de-
termine to occupy q more distant relation
to the institution In reply to this base
less insinuation l have this to say: The
first visit / made to the Hospital, after
reaching Weston, was on Tuesday evening
February 9Th, in company with Mr. Hub
bard and Dr. Summers. | think we found
there Judge Brannon and Judge Camden.
At that time was not even aware that
liquor was kept in the Hospital at State
expense, or that any former Investigating
committee had ever, during DR.. BANDS
examined into the extra
VACANT use of it there We were not inside
the Hospital over fifteen minutes before
DIR. Bland iRrited us TO take drink. Judge
Camden and myself think, accepted the
invitation. | am positive that Mr.. Hub
bard declined and think DR.. Summers did
also. The next day, perhaps. / remember
of taking glass of wine with DR.. Bland
ut the Hospital Now, this is the length
breadth and heighth of my offending in
this regard. l am quite sure that neither
DIR. Daley or Mr.. Hubbard tasted drop
Of liquor in the Hospital or belonging to
the State 'during the brief and hurried |
visit of this investigating committee"
lrhich lasts for t,rGiUe or fifteen days. |
Nor do l believe that DIR. Summers |
did. DR.. Barbee, believe, did take two |
Or three drinks in the Hospital. The Boarl
are careful not to say who .jurdted before
them on this subject, or which members of
the committee INDUCED so frequently in
the use of the Hospital whisky. My own
reputation in this regard is sufficient refu-
tation of such charge. shall not con-
descend to notice this charge farther.
insist, however, that the report of the COM
mittee touching the liquor matter is cor
rect. The testimony cOnclusively dem
onstrates that the druggist is the only |
person who, up to that time, pretended to
keep any
RECORD OF THE D1sPENsATTON OF LIQUOR, |
and the record he kept simply showed the |
quantity dispensed by himself The only |
way it was attempted to account for the
residue of the liquor used in the Hospital |
was by Or. Bland, DR.. Lewis and DR.. Ma
nOwn estimating or guessing at the quanty |
dispensed by each Of them Neither OF |
them had any record whatever of the guam
tity dispensed, nor did the record of the |
druggist show anything about the guam |
tity dispensed by either of them. With |
all their guessing and estimating there was |
still considerable quantity unaccounted |
for. guess they must have taken anoth
er guess before the Board, when the
Especial report" was prepared. On
the subject of the misuse of liquor
ut the Hospital, | refer particularly |
to the evidence of these gentlemen
taken before the committee and have no |
objection whatever Of comparing it with |
any they may have given before the Board |
since then.
apprehend it cannot be questioned, in
the light of the facts, that Governor Will |
son, who should, above all Others, stand |
and act impartially in this matter, has Ia.
ken sides and allied himself to Dr. Bland |
and his friends, with the deliberate pur-
pose of retaining DR.. Bland in his present
position, in defiance of the will of the Leg
as expressed in the recent act
him to appoint n new Board
of Directors. In executing that law he
has complied with its letter and dellber-
ately violated its spirit and purpose.
Without considering and, believe, with
out reading the testimony taken before the
ony,p,,Nfa lfnr e ,rau Nba, a., fha bo,,Ia a e.